When Mount Saint Mary Academy junior Mary Morrison of Metuchen was assigned her final project in Mrs. Joan Mruk’s Web Design class last school year, she knew immediately that it could serve as the foundation for a significant charitable project.

“The idea of raising money for disaster relief was on my mind even before the Web Design class,” said Morrison, whose project centered on Breezy Point, New York, a town ravaged by Hurricane Sandy last fall. Morrison’s family has a home in Breezy Point and her grandmother lives there year-round.

“After being down at Breezy to help clean up and start repairs, I immediately wanted to help make a bigger difference than just helping repair our house,” she said.

Morrison’s assignment was to create her own website, which she used not only to raise awareness about the situation in Breezy Point following the hurricane, but also to raise money through the collection of donations and the sale of t-shirts she designed herself. The funds raised from RebuildBreezy.org will go toward the rebuilding of a playground through the Breezy Point Disaster Relief Fund.

“A website was key to keeping the Rebuild Breezy organization alive,” she said. “Since many families had not been able to return to Breezy Point last summer, our website was a great way of connecting with them. Although they were not physically present, my website allowed them to make donations and buy t-shirts, giving them a sense that they were helping out.”

“I am so impressed with Mary’s work and the fact that she created a site like this and continues to maintain it,” said Mruk. “She developed the website without any coding knowledge prior to taking the class.”

Web design is one of many courses offered as part of the curriculum in the Mount’s Technology and Media Studies Department. Students in the course learn the design and programing skills needed to construct their own websites.

In addition to Web Design, Morrison’s experiences in Drawing, Painting, and Advanced Studio Art classes at the Mount have also served as assets in her efforts to aid Breezy Point residents.

“Besides designing the t-shirts, my education in art has influenced my photography,” said Morrison, whose website includes many powerful photos of the storm damage and the subsequent recovery efforts. “Although there are lots of articles and statistics out there, I believe that the best way to understand what is going on around us is to actually see it,” she said.

It is not only Morrison’s technical ability that has impressed her teacher but also the underlying purpose of the website. “Mary has put her Mercy core values to work in a real world application,” said Mruk.

To date, Morrison’s project has raised $5,000. “Sandy was a true disaster for the community,” she reflected. “It broke my heart to witness the devastation left behind not only my family but also for everyone in this community of public servants and long-time residents.”